Thomas Henry Barclay (October 12, 1753 – April 21, 1830) was an American lawyer who became one of the

United Empire Loyalists United Empire Loyalist (UEL; or simply Loyalist) is an honorific title which was first given by Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, the 1st Lord Dorchester, the governor of Province of Quebec (1763–1791), Quebec and Governor General, governor ...

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, located on its east coast. It is one of the three Maritime Canada, Maritime provinces and Population of Canada by province and territory, most populous province in Atlan ...

and served in the colony's government.

Early life

Thomas Henry Barclay came from a prominent

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

family, the son of the Reverend Henry Barclay (1712–1764), an Anglican clergyman who served as rector of Trinity Church in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, and Mary Rutgers, the daughter of a wealthy brewer. His paternal uncle was merchant Andrew Barclay, who married Helena Roosevelt, granddaughter of Nicholas Roosevelt. After attending King's College (later

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

), he studied law with

John Jay John Jay (, 1745 – May 17, 1829) was an American statesman, diplomat, signatory of the Treaty of Paris (1783), Treaty of Paris, and a Founding Father of the United States. He served from 1789 to 1795 as the first chief justice of the United ...

and was called to the bar in 1775.

American Revolutionary War

Shortly after his marriage in 1775, his career was interrupted by the beginning of the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

. Barclay served with distinction, as a major, in the " Loyal American Regiment", in the British Loyalist forces, throughout the war and, with the confiscation of his New York property and having been named specifically in a

Bill of Attainder A bill of attainder (also known as an act of attainder, writ of attainder, or bill of pains and penalties) is an act of a legislature declaring a person, or a group of people, guilty of some crime, and providing for a punishment, often without a ...

in that state, he chose to join the loyalists heading to Canada.

Resettlement in British Canada

After considering

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

, Thomas Henry Barclay opted for

where the forces were given land grants. At one point, he had moved to Annapolis Royal and began a law practice. In 1785, he was elected to the

6th General Assembly of Nova Scotia The 6th General Assembly of Nova Scotia represented Nova Scotia between November 1785 to 1793. The Assembly sat at the pleasure of the Governor of Nova Scotia, Edmund Fanning (colonial administrator), Edmund Fanning until 1786, and then under Gov ...

representing

Annapolis County Annapolis County is a county in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia located in the western part of the province located on the Bay of Fundy. The county seat is Annapolis Royal. History Established August 17, 1759, by Order in Council, Annapolis ...

while

Edmund Fanning Edmund Fanning (July 16, 1769 – April 23, 1841) was an American explorer and sea captain, known as the "Pathfinder of the Pacific." Life Born in Stonington in the British Crown Colony of Connecticut to Gilbert and Huldah Fanning, from ne ...

was governor. The next year,

John Parr John Stephen Parr (born 18 November 1952) is an English musician, singer, and songwriter, best known for his 1985 single " St. Elmo's Fire (Man in Motion)" for the 1985 movie St. Elmo's Fire, charting at No.1 in the US and No.6 in the UK, and ...

became governor. In 1793, Barclay was elected for Annapolis Township and served as

speaker Speaker most commonly refers to: * Speaker, a person who produces speech * Loudspeaker, a device that produces sound ** Computer speakers Speaker, Speakers, or The Speaker may also refer to: Arts and entertainment * "Speaker" (song), by David ...

for the assembly. He also served as lieutenant-colonel in the colony's militia and was boundary commissioner for the British when the border between the United States and New Brunswick was settled in

Jay's Treaty The Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation, Between His Britannic Majesty and the United States of America, commonly known as the Jay Treaty, and also as Jay's Treaty, was a 1794 treaty between the United States and Kingdom of Great Britain, ...

. Although he was appointed to the Council for Nova Scotia in 1799, he was given the post of British consul general in New York City later that year succeeding Sir John Temple. Barclay was recalled to London for the duration of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

. Following the War of 1812, he became a member of another boundary commission dealing with another section of the border with the United States. In 1822, he settled at a country home on

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

Personal life

In 1775, Thomas Henry Barclay married Susan DeLancey (1754–1837), a granddaughter of

Stephen Delancey Stephen Delancey (born Étienne de Lancy; October 24, 1663 – November 18, 1741) was a French-born American merchant and politician in colonial New York (state), New York who served as a member of the New York General Assembly and the New York E ...

. Together, they were the parents of 12 children, including: * Eliza Barclay (1776–1817), who married Peter Schuyler Livingston (1772–1809), the son of

Walter Livingston Walter Livingston (November 27, 1740 – May 14, 1797) was an American merchant, lawyer and politician. Early life He was a son of Robert Livingston (1708–1790), 3rd Lord of Livingston Manor, and Maria Thong Livingston (1711–1765), a grandd ...

, in 1796. * Henry Barclay (1778–1851), who married Catherine Watts (1782–1851), daughter of Robert Watts, in 1817. * DeLancey Barclay (1780–1826), who married Mary Fairfield, widow of Gurney Barclay, in 1825. * Maria Barclay (1782–1862), who married Simon Fraser in 1806. * Thomas Edmund Barclay (1783–1838), who married Catherine Smith Channing, daughter of Walter Channing, in 1821. * Susannah Barclay (1785–1805), who married

Peter Gerard Stuyvesant Peter Gerard Stuyvesant (; September 21, 1778 – August 16, 1847) was an American landowner, philanthropist and descendant of Peter Stuyvesant who was prominent in New York society in the 1600s. Early life Stuyvesant was born in New York City ...

(1777–1847), in 1803. After her death, he married Helena Rutherfurd. * Anne Barclay (1788–1869), who married William Burrington Parsons (1794–1869) in 1815. They were the grandparents of

William Barclay Parsons William Barclay Parsons Jr. (April 15, 1859 – May 9, 1932) was an American civil engineer. He founded Parsons Brinckerhoff, one of the largest American civil engineering firms. Early life Parsons was born on April 15, 1859 in New York City, ...

. * George Barclay (1790–1869), who married Louise Matilda Aufrere (1792–1868), in 1818. * Anthony Barclay (1792–1877), who married Anna Matilda Waldburg (1795–1887), daughter of J. Bartholomew Waldburg, in 1816, who took over as British Commissioner under the 6th and 7th articles of the

Treaty of Ghent The Treaty of Ghent () was the peace treaty that ended the War of 1812 between the United States and the United Kingdom. It took effect in February 1815. Both sides signed it on December 24, 1814, in the city of Ghent, United Netherlands (now in ...

. * Henry Barclay (1794–1863), who married Sarah Ann Moore (1809–1873), daughter of Daniel Sackett Moore, in 1842. They were the parents of James Lent Barclay (1848–1925). Thomas Henry Barclay died there in 1830 and was buried in the

Bowery The Bowery () is a street and neighbourhood, neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, New York. The street runs from Chatham Square at Park Row (Manhattan), Park Row, Worth Street, and Mott Street in the south to Cooper Square at 4th ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Barclay, Thomas Henry 1753 births 1830 deaths Canadian Anglicans Huguenot participants in the American Revolution Loyalists in the American Revolution from New York (state) Loyalist military personnel of the American Revolutionary War People from Annapolis County, Nova Scotia Speakers of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly Loyalists who settled Nova Scotia Columbia College (New York) alumni De Lancey family 18th-century members of the Nova Scotia House of Assembly